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December 3, 2013

Top Ten 2014 Releases I'm Dying To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we're discussing some 2014 releaseswe're eagerly anticipating. My list is primarily books releasing within the first six months or so because I wanted my choices to have their covers and blurbs readily accessible. Maybe I'll do a part II of this later next year.

Never will I ever not read "Beauty and the Beast" retellings. Or, at least I can't pass up those with an interesting premise. From the blurb, it sounds as though perhaps Beauty actually has some agency for once? At least, it sounds as though she agrees to marriage in order to kill her kingdom's ruler.Death Swornby Leah Cypress(Release date: March 4, 2014)I've heard wonderful things about Cypress' last book,Mistwood, although I haven't gotten around to reading it myself yet. And her 2014 offering sounds just as good. This is about a girl who loses everything she's known when she loses her magic, and when she has the opportunity to learn about the magic in her world, she has the chance to cause great changes in her world.The Winner's Curseby Marie Rutkoski(Release date: March 4, 2014)Early hype for this one has been ridiculous. I love the gender reversals hinted here, as the females are given the choice to get married or join the military. And the female protagonist buys a male slave. At least, I hope that this story creates a discussion of gender roles and stereotypes. Fingers crossed!

I know this author's historical retelling of the Bluebeard tale,Strands of Bronze and Gold, didn't receive the best reception. But I don't care because this is a retelling of freaking "Tam Lin" and I will read this. That is all. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then here you go.The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavenderby Leslye Walton(Release date: March 25, 2014)Magical realism. No matter what the rest of the blurb says, I know that I will have to give this one a try (the entire synopsis sounds lovely as well, by the way). It's about a normal girl who is born with a pair of wings. I have a lot of love for the magical realism genre, so I hope the term isn't used lightly here.

Prisoner of Night and Fogby Anne Blankman(Release date: April 22, 2014)After loving Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire so much, I'm definitely eager to read more WWII historical fiction. And I love that the narrator here starts off as a Nazi and must work with a Jew to undercover the truth of her father's death. So interesting!The Falconerby Elizabeth May(Release date: May 6, 2014)

A historical fantasy revenge story? And the revenge is being exacted by a high society girl intent on killing the faeries responsible for her mother's death? Yes, please! I've heard mostly good things about this one as well, since the U.S. release is quite a bit later than the U.K. release.We Were Liarsby E. Lockhart(Release date: May 13, 2014)

Confession time: I haven't read anything by E. Lockhart. I know! Hopefully I'll be able to remedy this problem before May, but if I haven't then I will make sure to read We Were Liars close to its release date. The blurb is pretty vague (it sounds like a broken friendship among teens), but there's already been lots of hype and I can't wait to learn more about this story.

Ruin and Risingby Leigh Bardugo(Release date: June 3, 2014)I didn't think it could be possible, butSiege and Stormwas even better than its predecessorShadow and Bone. That means my expectations are through the roof on the conclusion to this high fantasy trilogy, but I don't think that Bardugo will disappoint me.

I likedThe Divinersa lot. And that's despite not loving the characters per se. Bray just has this way to make historical fiction (historical fantasy, really) seem so real. I loved the focus on New York in the 1920s and the occult. The teens with Diviner powers have finally all met one another, so I can't wait to see what forces of evil they have to conquer next!

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have many, many more 2014 releases I'm excited about reading. Please let me know what 2014 releases you're dying to read.

Amanda

Amanda loves few things better than sitting down with a cup of tea and a book. She frequently stays up far too late, telling herself she just needs to finish one more page. When she's not wrapped up in the stories of others, Amanda works as a children's librarian in a public library.

I'm with you on We Were Liars. I absolutely loved E. Lockhart in high school, so I'm looking forward to being able to finally read something else by her since it feels like it's been forever! And same with Lair of Dreams. That cover is hideous, but that aside, I quite enjoyed The Diviners and I'm excited to see what Bray brings in the sequel.

Wow, you have a ton I haven't heard of here actually. I still have book 1 Bardugo's series on my shelf to read. I have no idea what I'm waiting for. I love the cover for Cruel Beauty. Happy reading.Top 10 @Libby Blog

I really enjoyed Cruel Beauty and have both Death Sworn and Prisoner of Night and Fog to read, which I'm looking forward to. I'm definitely excited for the other titles you've mentioned, though, like The Winner's Curse, We Were Liars, Lair of Dreams, and of course Ruin and Rising. I have Falconer in my staggering pile of ARCs too, so I'll be reading that soon and letting you know what I think - it seems very promising, though! Wonderful list, Amanda!

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrow of Ava Lavender and The Prisoner of Night and Fog made it on my list, too! I have been wanting to read Strands of Bronze and Gold, despite the lackluster reception, and I'm also now adding The Mirk and Midnight Hour to my wishlist! The hype for The Winner's Curse has me so curious - can't wait to get my hands on it :)

Several of these titles are on Edelweiss and NetGalley Amanda so I hope you get a chance to snag them:) I can't wait for most of these--but especially The Winner's Curse, The Falconer, We Were Liars, Lair of Dreams, and Ruin and Rising:)